brutalism

The slats on the window offer solar protection and privacy. “Before the slats were installed, it really felt like you were just living on the street,” says Vanbesien.

- New Haven, Connecticut Dwell Magazine : September / October 2017

Although The Goat Heads are mostly clad in metal, it’s the plastic panel walls at the entries that really shine. “In the evening they act like lanterns and animate the courtyards,” says Rogers. Their glow is tempered by the concrete breeze-block walls. “It was important that the units weren’t too bright—part of the beauty out here is the sky at night.”

The ground floor is where the clients spend most of their time. The main living space opens up to the waterfront via sliding glass doors, and the floors are burnished concrete to complement the board-formed walls.

In the 1950s, Ramat HaSharon, close to Tel Aviv, was home to numerous brutalist structures. There, architect Pitsou Kedem, craving the same style for his own family house, built it as two squares of concrete stacked atop each other. Materials like iron, wood, and silicate brick, along with a skylight that runs along the length of the stairwell, imbue it with a welcoming sense of earthiness.

The weekend retreat is a welcome respite from the hustle of Mexico City.

A look at one of four double-height bedrooms in the tallest structure. Each one comes with a “tapanco,” or loft, for sleeping or reading.